Keep Holding On
by crabbyabby3
Summary: As Hermione and Ron go through life, will one fight suddenly be too many? Hopefully not... This is just a cute Ron and Hermione, 99% fluff, fanfic. It takes place seven years after the battle  a year before Rose is born . R&R!
1. Prolouge

**Hello FanFictioners! So, here's a little story thats basically a cute Ron and Hermione story that takes place 7 years after the Battle of Hogwarts. It's going to be a little sweet, a little dramatic, and who knows maybe I'll through in some angst. But probably not. It's pretty much highlighting Hermione and Ron's lives starting when he proposes and ending... who knows when? So, please read and then MAKE SURE YOU REVIEW. If you don't, I probably won't keep writing. So, read the story and then review! Please! This is just the Prolouge, but right after I post this I'll post the first chapter. I always start my story putting up the first few chapters all at once and then from then on probably updating once or twice a week or so. Enjoy!**

Keep Holding On

Prolouge

The Battle of Hogwarts was over. Everyone had returned to their normal lives. The Seventh Years had graduated (Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Ronald Weasley did too, even though they had missed the majority of the year.) The next year Ginny Weasley graduated as well. Neville Longbottom went through training to become a Herbology teacher, as did the Patil sisters, however they became co-teachers of Divination. Hagrid remained gamekeeper, and Professor McGonnagal became headmistress. Luna Lovegood became a field worker for the Ministry, which meant that she could go out to places in the Wizarding World to check up on magical creatures such as wild thestrals and hippogriffs to make sure they were okay. She also helped to free them from bad situations. She loved her job.

After the battle, George took control of his grief and used it to power himself through getting the shop back up and running. He and Katie became close friends, and stayed that way. He ended up however with Angelina Johnson as his wife. They had two kids, Roxanne and Fred Jr.

Charlie went back to Romania and continued his work with the dragons. Bill and Fleur lived happily in Shell Cottage with no worries at all. Well, at least until the thirteenth of September, in the year of the battle, which was when Fleur found out she was pregnat with the couple's first child, Victorie. Little Victorie was born next June, and was welcomed into the family happily.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had continued with their "normal" lives, although they missed Fred greatly. Percy worked for the Ministry again, which was much less strict then it was before. He had actually managed to snatch up a job in the Department of Magical Objects and Tools. (He bragged quite a bit about it, but everyone knew that the position had been open for years. Simply no one but Percy wanted a job in Cauldron Thickness Regulations.)

As soon as Ginny Weasley graduated from Hogwarts, she and Harry Potter picked things up where they left off. Harry became an Auror and got his own flat in Diagon Alley. When Ginny was twenty-one and Harry was twenty-two, Ginny moved in with Harry. Ginny had her own business in Diagon Alley, she owned a magic antique store called Ginny's Jewels. She and Harry were happy together, and planned to stay that way. Or they did until they had their first child, James about 5 years after the battle. He was the same age as Angelina and George's twins, and the children all immediately became playmates.

Ron and Hermione had been dating ever since the Battle. They were both 24, and both had jobs and saw each other often. As soon as Ron's grief for Fred had been under control, and he had taken care of a few things at home, he became an Auror as well. He loved his job, and soon he was making enough money to buy himself a small flat. Two years later, Hermione moved in with him. She worked full time in the ministry. He loved her, and she loved him. They both loved their lives.

But Ron wanted to ask Hermione another question. A very, very big question.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello FanFictioners! So here's the first real chapter. I hope you like it, and please review. It means a lot! Also, the song I will be using in this Fic is called **_**Keep Holding On **_**by Avril Lavigne. I'm a big fan of her and I hope you like how it fits in with the story. I also decided to name the story after the song for this reason. Enjoy!**

**General Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

Keep Holding On

Chapter 1

_You're not alone, together we stand. I'll be by your side you know I'll take your hand. When it gets cold, and it feels like the end, there's no place to go, you know I won't give in. You know I won't give in._

Hermione could feel the wind in her face. It tasted strongly of salt water, and she enjoyed it. It made it feel like summer, which made sense considering it was August.

As Hermione swung her legs back and forth on the dock, she was suddenly filled with an over-whelming sense of happiness. She was here, on a beach, with her handsome, adorable boyfriend that she loved, and everything was perfect. Except for one or two little things...

For one, Ginny and Harry were in another fight. Harry had been called into another Auror mission, and Ginny begged him not to go because she "Never gets to spend time with her fiance" but he had still gone anyway. She had stormed off and hadn't come out of her store for days since.

Another problem Hermione had was that she was so _over scheduled_. She had to watch Teddy Lupin every Sunday, but she had Ron with her in their flat so it wasn't too bad.

Andromeda had helped set up a schedule for "Teddy Watch". She watched him Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the Weasleys watched him on Thursday, Harry and Ginny watched him on Fridays and Saturdays, and Hermione and Ron watched him on Sunday. It took up all of the day, and Hermione and Ron could not leave the flat at all on Sunday.

Then Hermione worked full-time in the Ministry. She worked for House-Elf Rights, of course. She loved her job, but it was so time-consuming. She even had to work on Saturdays, so she didn't really have free time on the weekend. Ron worked the same hours as her though, so that wasn't too bad.

Then Hermione also had to go to all of Ginny's Quidditch games (every other Wednesday at 11:00 pm- terrible timing), Victorie's piano recitals-she was an extremely gifted six-year-old- and even Mrs. Wealsey's Sunday dinners- at which she would hand off Teddy to Andromeda.

It was a very hectic life.

But right now, in this beautiful moment on the beach, none of that mattered. She and Ron had gotten the day off from work since it was Muggle Appreciation Day. ("Stupid holiday, if you ask me," Ron had said when he found out. Although he had certainly not complained thirty-seconds later when he found out about getting the day off.) So she and Ron had gone to the beach, and they had spent the whole day talking and laughing and eating the sandwiches Hermione had made ahead of time in the small yet homey kitchen of the flat, and it had just been an over-all great day.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, concern in his voice. Hermione snapped out of her revire and looked up at her handsome, tall boyfriend.

"W-what?" She asked. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

Ron shook his head in a half-amused way. "That's okay. I just said I wanted to ask you something. But it's okay, I can do it another time." He said.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "What Ron? It's fine! Just ask me now."

Ron shook his head. "Nope. The mood has gone." He said with an air of cocky humor.

Hermione huffed. She hated when Ron did that; tried to act like something didn't bother him by making it a joke. Hermione could sense one of their common little rows coming, but did nothing to stop it. "What Ron! Tell me! You have to now! You can't just say you need to tell me something and then not tell me!" Her voice getting higher as she yelled.

"Hermione! I can't tell you anymore, okay! It's no big deal! Just drop it." He cried.

But Hermione wouldn't. Instead she stood up on the dock, rose up to her full height and spoke as menacingly as a girl her size can.

"If you think that I will 'Just drop it' then you are sadly mistaken, Ronald!" She said.

Then she turned on her heel and twisted into nothingness.

In other words, she apparated.

Hermione heard heavy footsteps echoing through the flat a mere ten minutes after she had apparated into the flat and stormed off into the bedroom she and Ron...shared. She had cried into her temperopedic pillow for about five minutes until she told herself that she was being stupid and if Ron didn't want to tell her something he didn't have to. She was just about to get up and apparate back to the beach to apologize when she caught her reflection in the mirror. She had makeup all down her face and her eyes were unbelievably puffy, as was her hair. So she had gone into the bathroom to freshen up, and now, five minutes later, was out in the hallway to investigate who was walking through her house, as she had heard footsteps just now.

Luckily it was only Harry. "Hi!" Hermione said, walking over to give Harry a hug. "What brings you here?"

Harry shrugged. "Nothing, nothing. Except I have a message from Ron..."

Hermione half-laughed. "Oh, well I guess I don't have to explain to you why he's not here.. But what did he say?" She leaned forward anxiously. Harry gave a chuckle and stepped back, causing Hermione to go red. "Sorry," she mumbled. Harry shook his head and grinned. "It's fine. Anyway, Ron says he wants you to meet him by the pier in Ottery St. Catchpole." Hermione nodded. "Okay, I guess I'll go now then. Thanks, Harry!" She said. "Oh, and Harry? How did you get Ron's message?" She asked couriously.

"Patronus." Harry said simply. Then he spun on his heel, and was gone.

Hermione followed suit.


	3. Chapter 2

**HELLO! So, here's chapter two. It's a bit longer than the others. REVIEW! Enjoy!**

Keep Holding On

Chapter 2

_Keep, Holding On. 'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through. Just, stay strong. 'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you._

When Hermione got to the pier, she could immediately spot Ron's bright hair in the crowd. She quickly walked over to where he was sitting, quite a great distance from where anyone else was. He was by a worn looking bench, and just the sight of that little thing reminded Hermione why she loved the pier so much. It was beautiful, looking out over the ocean. It smelled wonderful, like funnel cakes and fresh parchment. And the people there were always so happy. Even Hermione was starting to feel less mad at Ron...

Hermione ended up walking towards the back of Ron, so when she got to him, instead of saying something, she just went on her tiptoes and tapped him on the shoulder. He quickly turned around and looked relieved when he saw Hermione. "You came." He said. Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Of course I came. I'm standing right in front of you, aren't I?" Ron laughed sheepishly. "You can sit..." He said, and he rose up from his perch on the bench to let Hermione sit down. Hermione sat.

"So, I'm trusting you got Harry's message..." Ron started. Hermione nodded and he went on. " 'Mione, I have something very important to say, but first I need to get this out of the way." He took a deep breath. "You have said many, many bad things to me throughout the-" He paused to count on his fingers, " fourteen years I've known you. And yes, you did call me some nasty little names, but that's not the worst. By bad things, I mean things that you didn't know that when you said them, how they would hurt me. But the worst thing you ever said to me was in our sixth year. I was sick, remember? So anyway, I was sleeping in the hospital wing when Lavender came bursting in, and I remember actually waking up, but pretending to be asleep still. So she came and left, and I was about to really get up when I heard more footsteps and so I stayed asleep." He paused.

"Anyway, I heard the footsteps come up to my bed and I could immediately tell it was you, by the way you smelled, and your presence and breathing. I know. Anyways, you sat down by my bed and you started stroking my hand, and it felt so wonderful and in the moment, I never wanted you to stop that. So after a while I thought you were going to leave, but you never did. Instead, you started whispering to me, really, really softly. You said exactly this. 'Ronald, I- I know that you hate it when I call you that. But I'm sorry, I can't call you Ron, because thats what Lavender calls you. But I want you to know that even though it may seem like I do, I will never hate you. But I do hate Lavender Brown, and you know why? Because she d-did his too you, she made you sick. If you hadn't started dating her, then you wouldn't have gone to Mr. Slughorn's classroom or eaten those chocolates. I'm so sorry for saying this, but,' Ron stammered as he recited the words 'I hate her because she like you. And, when I saw you kissing her that day I knew you didn't love me, and never would.' Then you left, and I almost killed myself, Hermioe! Because hearing you say that was terrible." Ron was almost crying, even though he was trying not too. However, Hermione wasn't trying to hide the tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Ron, I am so sorry for saying that. But you have to know that I thought it was true! I really did think that you loved her!" Hermione cried. Ron's face twisted. "I know... now."

"But Hermione, that's not the point. When you said that I didn't know you at all, it got me thinking. Maybe I don't know anything about you. Maybe you didn't really love me..." Hermione was full out crying now, and she ran into Ron's arms. He held her for a moment, but quickly set her down. Then he gripped her hand and twisted into nothingness.

Hermione stumbled into the landing, but Ron caught her. "What are we doing here!" She cried. Ron grinned. "I'm proving that I know everything about you," He grinned. "Do you remember this place?"

Hermione looked around and slowly nodded. "It's where I got my Muggle driving test." She said. "You came with me." Ron nodded. "I knew you would pass, too." Hermione blushed. " I also knew that you were extremely nervous, so you wouldn't let us apparate untill you had reread the chapter in stop signs." Hermione laughed. Then she felt Ron grip her hand again, and they were gone.

This time they arrived at a beach, in the sand. Hermione laughed out loud. "I know this place!" She cried. "My mum took me here every summer for a Girls' Day! How do you..." She trailed off. "I saw a picture when you were showing me a photo album." Ron said. "I asked your mom about it, so she told me all about your trips here." Hermione sighed. She bet her mom told Ron everything. Then she gripped Ron's hand and with a pop, they vanished.

Ron took her to three more places: An ice-cream parlor where she had lost her first tooth, a campground she and Ron had went to, (which was where he asked her to move in with him.) and a movie theatre where she had seen a woman being mugged. The last one scared her quite a bit, but when she asked for Ron to take her home he said,"Sorry, I have one more place." Then, with a pop, they arrived at Hermione's favorite place in the world: The Hogwarts library.

Hermione shrieked. "Oh my MERLIN! Ron how did you get in here you can't apparate into Hogwarts!" Ron grinned. "I told Minerva about my... plan and she said it was wonderful and took the enchantments preventing apparation off for today." Hermione smiled as well. "How nice!"

" So, do you like this place the best?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded vigorously. "I can't believe we're here," She mused. "But why did you take me here?" She asked. "Well I know it's your favorite place in the whole entire world," Ron started. "But the main reason is I wanted to show you a new book." Hermione slowly nodded. "Okay..." Ron detached his hand from Hermione's grasp and walked over to a shelf, pulled out a thin book and set it down on the table in front of them.

Hermione gasped when she looked down at the book. The title was _Hermione_, and it was by R. Weasley.

"Ron!" She cried. "You wrote a book for me!" Ron nodded. "Read it." So Hermione did.

The first page said, _I know everything about Hermione._

The second page said, _ I know that autumn is her favorite season because that's when the leaves start to change colors and she loves that beauty. _ Page three read, _I know that when I go on Auror missions she sleeps with a picture of me under her pillow because she's worried something will happen. _

Page four said, _ I know that when she first met me on the train, she was jealous that I was __friends with Harry first and has always stayed that way. _

Page six read, _She does not know that I was insanely jealous of her with Viktor Krum, and that is why fifth year was the worst year of my life. _

Page seven read, _ I know that Hermione's least favorite flavor of ice-cream is vanilla because she used to think that since she was a bland, boring person her ice cream should be exciting, even though Hermione is the most exciting, interesting person I know. _

Page eight said, _ I know that when Hermione was younger she wished to be a school teacher, but she was afraid kids wouldn't like her so she never became one. _ Page nine read, _I know that even in summer Hermione always wears long sleeves to cover her scar that she got from Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione does not know that when we went to shell cottage and you hadn't woken up yet, I saw your scar and tried to kiss it to make it better. _

Page ten read, _ I know that Hermione's favorite holiday is anyone's birthday but her own. _ The next eleven or so pages went on with interesting little tidbits about Hermione that only Ron knew, untill she got to the last page. That page read, _ I know that I love Hermione Granger very much, and that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. _ Hermione then gasped and looked next to her to Ron, but instead found him on the ground on one knee with a little box in his hands. He saw her look at him, smiled, and opened the box to reveal a small ring encrusted with a single diamond in the center.

"Hermione Jean Granger, will you marry me?" He looked up at her with hopeful eyes. Hermione jumped up and down. "Yes! Yes! Yes! A million times yes!" Then she started to cry, happy tears, and flung herself into Ron's arms.

"I love you." He whispered.

"Yes!" Hermione cried, her eyes still leaking happiness.

Ron whispered again, more to himself this time, "You did it, Ron. She said yes!"


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello guys... OMG. I AM SOOOOO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN LIKE...FOREVER! So I would like to thank everyone that reviewed, subscribed, and set me or this story as a favorite and I hope they don't give up hope on this story! You guys rock! So I have two questions that I would love if you answered in a review: Would you guys like it if I replied to your reviews? And are there any other plot lines you would like me to touch on, like a big R/H fight, Ginny/ Harry stuff, George/ Angelina stuff or anything like that? Please leave your answer in a review! BTW, I edited this chapter right after I put it up, but some people read the first one, which is fine it just had a lot of grammatical errors. So, enjoy, and my apologies again!**

Keep Holding On

Chapter 3

_There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do. There's no other way when it comes to the truth. So keep, holding on. Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you._

The sun shone into the master bedroom of Ron and Hermione's flat. Ron sat up in bed, wide awake. He glanced over at his fiance next to him. Hermione was sound asleep, snoring gently. Most people would find snoring annoying; Ron found Hermione's snoring adorable. Everything she did he found adorable.

Ron couldn't resist anymore. He leaned over and kissed Hermione on her cheek. And like she did almost every time this happened, Hermione sat up in bed, turned to Ron, who looked sheepish for waking her up, and said these three words. "Good morning, honey."

Then, like the couple did every morning, Hermione would snuggle closer into Ron. Her small form fit perfectly into the curve on Ron's side, and Ron could easily put his arm around the brunette. It was a comfortable position that felt so familiar to them and when they were in it they felt unified and whole, as if they were perfectly _one._

After the two got dressed, they headed into the kitchen to make themselves breakfast. As Ron scrambled eggs in a pan, Hermione sat at the small table and sipped her tea with a thoughtful look on her face. Ron noticed this and asked, "What are you thinking, 'Mione?" Hermione smiled slightly and said, "It just occurred to me that we should probably tell your family about the engagement at Ginny's birthday dinner tonight." A look described as _Oh yeah _passed over Ron's face. "I totally forgot that we needed to tell them! I honestly don't know how I would get by without you, Hermione." He said as he pecked her on the cheek. Hermione grinned ."Well, honey, that is part of the reason you asked me to marry you, I presume." Ron grinned as well. "I love it when you use intelligent words."

Ron and Hermione waited until the end of dinner to tell everyone about their engagement, because they didn't want to take the attention away from Ginny on her special day. When they announced it, everyone was ecstatic -but they had clearly expected Ron to pop the question sooner or later. After a half hour of more congratulations and Mrs. Weasley panicking over wedding details that didn't need to be considered anytime soon, the happy couple left and returned to their apartment. They would have stayed later, but Hermione's stomach had been feeling wretched. In fact, when they got home she even, well, vomited. But they dismissed it as a bug and went to bed.

Ron immediately knew something was wrong when he woke up and his fiance wasn't in bed next to him. He sat up and looked at the clock. 8 A.M.- Way too early for Hermione. He glanced around the master bedroom and saw the light on in the bathroom. Knowing that she was obviously in there, he knocked lightly on the door. " 'Mione?" He heard a sniffle and the shuffling of feet, and then the door was opened. Hermione's face was tear-stained and she was just a mess. "What's wrong?" He enveloped Hermione into a hug, but she pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "Ron," she said. "I'm pregnant."

**Don't forget to review and tell e if you want me to respond or not, and what you want to see in the story! Thanks luv you all! P.S. Thanks to cArLySTAR15 for pointing the errors out to me!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hi! So just because the last chapter was really short, and you guys rock, I'm updating again! Twice within 24 hours! Whoo! So, please read this and enjoy and tell me in reviews: 1, do you want me to respond to your review? 2, What do you want to see in the story in the future? And 3, would you rather have me update several times a week but have the UDs be short, or update about once a week but have the UD be long? Thanks again for reading!**

**P.S. I edited and reposted the last chapter because it had a lot of errors. Thanks cArLySTAR15!**

Keep Holding He enveloped Hermione into a hug, but she pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "Ron," she said. "I'm pregnant."

Chapter 4

_There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do, there's no other way when it comes to the truth._

_**He enveloped Hermione into a hug, but she pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "Ron," she said. "I'm pregnant."**_

Ron's eyes just about fell out of his head. "You're pregnat? Are you sure? Did you take a test?" Hermione nodded, but as soon as her eyes met Ron's she broke into a sob. Ron pulled her close to him again and since he was so much taller than her he could rest his head on top of her's perfectly. "Shhhh, 'Mione. Don't cry. It's okay." After Hermione had seemed to calm down a little bit, Ron tried talking again. "So...you took the pregnancy test?" Hermione didn't say anything, she just walked into the bathroom and came out with a little white stick that had a blue + sign showing. Ron ran a hand though his beautiful, luscious ginger hair. "Well... That's great, Hermione. We're gonna have a baby!" Hermione shook her head and started crying again. "No, Ron." She said. "It's not great. I don't want to have a baby! I'm not ready! I'm not even twenty-five yet! I haven't lived. I haven't enjoyed being married, or being young. I don't want a child to be a burden on all of that!" Ron sighed. "I know Hermione. But you've told me before that you wanted kids, so why the sudden change of heart?" He asked.

"I do want kids-later. I wanted them when I was old-like thirty something! Not now!" Hermione cried.

"Well, let's think of all the options here, Hermione. We could have the baby and raise her and you could be a great mother. Or we could give the kid up for adoption and wait until we're older to have a child again. Or...we could abort." He said. Hermione shook her head. "No! I'm definitely not aborting. Never. But I don't want to think about the other two options. Not yet." Ron nodded. "I understand. But Hermione...I _am_ the father, right? I don't want this to be like that Muggle show, _Glee..._" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's yours. Remember that night after Gin and Harry's wedding?" Ron was silent, remembering. Then a few moments later a stupidly happy look passed over his face as he said, "Oh yeah. _That_ was fun night." He groaned softly, just as Hermione slapped his shoulder. "Ron! That's how the baby was conceived, you oaf! And me being pregnat also explains why I haven't been feeling good lately...And this." She pulled up her shirt to reveal a small, but clearly there, baby bump. "Oh. Yeah. I didn't want to say anything, but I did think you had put on a few pounds..." Hermione glared and Ron held up his hands in defense. "Joing, honey. Joking... Well, we should probably take you to the doctor." Hermione nodded. "Yes. Let's get ready, then we can head to St. Mungo's."

An hour later, Ron stepped out of the fireplace in the lobby of the hospital. He waited patiently for Hermione to step out of the fire, and at the first sign of her appearing he got closer to the grate and postitioned himself ready to catch her if she fell. When she stepped out of the green, majestic, fire she did totter a little and gratefully took Ron's hand to steady herself. She expected him to let go once she had righted herself, but he held on and gently helped her over the iron gate seperating the fireplace from the lobby. She huffed and said, "Ron, just because I'm pregnat doesn't mean I'm not capapble of stepping over something two feet off the ground." Ron muttered something about wanting to keep her safe, and Hermione rolled her eyes, but really she was glad he had helped her and she focused on not showing how much effort that little step had caused her.

When they walked into the maternity wing, Ron walked up to the front desk and spoke for a minute or two. Then he motionted for Hermione to follow him into a little room. She was instructed to lay down on the bed by the nurse who's name was Marnee. Ron was asked to leave the room while they prepped Hermione for an ultrasound, and he did so. It was quiet in the room, and Hermione worked on changing into the gown. Then Marnee tried to make conversation and said, "You're a little young to be habing a baby." She obviously didn't know that this was a touchy subject for Hermione, but Hermione kept it together. "Yes... I, I mean, we didn't mean to have a baby. It was a mistake. We're engaged..." She explained. The nurse nodded understandingly. "I see." Then she went out to get Ron. He came back in, and sat down in the chair next to the bed where Hermione was laying. He grasped her hand and Marnee put a little machine on Hermione's bump. Then the screen lit up and a blob-ish white shape was in the center. Ron took a sharp intake of breath. "Is that the baby?" He asked. Marnee smiled. "Yep, thats the baby. Unfortunately, I can't tell what sex it is yet. But in the first trimester, you need to come in bi-monthly for appointments, so if you're lucky we might be able to tell next time I see you." Then Marnee filled them in on more things Hermione should and shouldn't do, and the couple listened intently.

When they arrived back at their buliding, Hermione stifled a groan when they found out the elevator wasn't working and they had to climb up three flights of stairs. Ron looked concerned, but Hermione waved him off. "I can do it, Honey." So they began the climb. Hermione tried to prove she could do it, so she walked a lot faster than she normally would have, almost running up the stairs.

This proved not to be a good idea. Ron was lagging behind, and he only heard, not saw, when Hermione tripped and fell back down ten stairs. He heard a thump, and when he called out, "Hermione?" All he got was a whimper. Ron sprinted up the stairs and found Hermione curled up her hands around her stomach nearly in the fetal position. Ron stopped running and kneeled down beside her. "What happened?" Hermione shook her head and shakily took in air. "I fell... down the stairs. I think- I think the breath got knocked out of me." She paused taking another breath. "My head really hurts but I think I'm okay. But the baby... the baby doesn't feel right."

"Okay," Ron said. "I'll call St. Mungo's. If something happened to the baby, they can...fix it. But right now, I need you to lift up your head for me so I can see how much bleeding is going on." Hermione nodded and slowly lifter up her head, just to gasp and slide back down. Ron grasped her shoulders and ever so slowly elevated her head. "Is that okay?"

"Yes," Hermione said softly. Ron ripped off part of his t-shirt, and held the cloth up to his finace's head. It was a medium sized wound, not big or deep enough to cause anything but a nasty scar, thank Merlin. He tried to stop the bleeding as best he could, and ten minutes went by before the people from St. Mungo's showed up. They insisted that he couldn't go with them, and would have to meet them back at the hospital. He quickly kissed Hermione and murmured some calming words. Then he ran up to his apartment and used the floo network to get the hospital, for the second time that day. This was shaping up to be a great weekend.

Not.

**OOOH! Drama! I'm sorry. I know I swore this would be fluff but for those of you who know me or are familiar with my stories, you should know that I'm more addicted to angst then Mimi is addicted to drugs in RENT. Don't forget to review and answer my questions please!**

**:) Crabbyabby3**


	6. Chapter 5

**It's me again! So thanks SO much to all of you awesome reviewers and subscribers! Love you all! So, I sware the angst/drama won't be a main component in the rest of the story. I just couldn't resist! I mean stairs provide so much oppurtunity! LOL... I am on vacation so that is why I'm updating pretty frequently... Enjoy!**

_So keep holding on... 'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you._

Keep Holding On

Chapter 5

Unsprisingly, Ron arrived at St. Mungo's after his fiancee and the medical team. It was a busy time for the hospital, quite unlike how empty it was earlier when the couple was there. All around him were patients on levitating stretchers with EMTs following behind the stretcher with their wands raised. Some were being wheeled in wheelchairs that were extendable so the paitent could elevate limbs if needed. Magial Medical Devices (MMDs) were largely in use around and about St. Mungo's. However, Ron could not concentrate on magic's great impact. He could only think about the one thing that mattered: Hermione.

Ron ran up to the front desk. The witch took one look at Ron's frantic eyes and sighed. "Are you hear for Ms. Granger?"

Ron nodded. "Where is she? Is she okay? Can I see her?" The nurse nodded.

"Her team just brought her in. Mild wound to the head. Other than that she appears to be fine. We just aren't sure about the baby, if it's okay. She's having another screening now. Just apparate to the maternity ward." She said.

Ron thanked her and with a _pop_ he was gone. Ron hated hospitals. They smelled to anti-septicy, they were too clean. To him, St. Mungo felt like someone's home where you weren't welcome: Cold and uninviting.

Thankfully, the ward was very small. There were only four rooms, and the light was only on in one. Ron sprinted to the door and charged in. The sight made his heart drop. Hermione was on a bed raised up. Her head was wrapped in a bandage and she was deathly pale and shivering. The gown was shortsleeved-Ron hoped that was the cause of the shivers. The nurse (not Marnee) was doing a different type of screening today. She had on these glasses that had something that looked like camera lenses in place of regular lenses. Ron had seen them before: they allowed you to see through flesh. Personally, Ron would never wear them. Not his style.

Ron ran up to his fiancee. Hermione saw Ron come in and looked relieved. "Ron!" She cried. Her voice... it was almost painful to him. It was so full of thankfulness, but at the same time fear and drowsiness. It was raw and brought Ron back to the severity of the situation. Hi unborn child could... die. But Ron swore to himself that that would _not happen. _

Ron kissed Hermione on the cheek. "I love you." He whispered. Hermione squeezed his hand. "What's happening?" He asked. 

"T-they are giving me a screening to check on- on the baby." She chocked out, on the verge of tears. Ron nodded and turned to the two nurses. "Is there anything wrong?"

One of the nurses shook his head. "Not that we can see so far. But we'll keep checking." Hermione sighed-whether it was out of relief or anxiousness was unclear to Ron.

Finally, the ultrasound was over and Hermione had stopped shivering. The nurses told the couple to go home, and sent them on their way (with some medicine for her head and instructions for both of them take it easy).

Ron and Hermione drove home in silence, each extremely upset from the days events. At least, until Hermione said, "Oh! Ron! I forgot!"

"What did you forget?" He asked.

"Well, before you got to St. Mungo's, at the beginning of the screening, one of the nurses told me the gender of our baby." She said excitedly.

" 'Mione! That's great! So..."

"It's a girl!"

When the two got back to the flat, Hermione collapsed Oh onto their bed. Ron followed suit. "I love you." He said.

"I love _you."_ Hermione said simply.

Ron rolled over onto his side, so he could see Hermione clearly. "The baby... What do you reckon we name her?"

Hermione sighed. "I honsetly don't know. I have a few ideas, but... I don't know. I don't want it to be too common, but I don't want it to be weird."

Ron nodded. "I agree. What are your ideas? I don't have any."

"Well, I like the name Gwendolyn. But I feel like if we name her that, all people will think about when they see her are Grindylows. They sort of sound similar, don't they?"

Ron burst out laughing. "Really, Hermione. The things you think of. Thank Merlin you did though, because I sort of fancy that name. I would have felt ridiuclous if we start showing her around and all people think about are the wretched Grindylows! Imagine the teasing the teasing she would have gotten by the Slytherins at school!"

Hermione giggled and snuggled up to her fiance. "You know, I also like the name Imogen."

Ron made a rude gesture and a face.

"Okay, that's a no. What about Rosie? Or Georgine?" Hermione asked.

"I like Georgine... Not sure about Rosie though. I never really liked names that ended in "ie" or "y". Even my sister! Ginn-eeeeeee." Ron said gooflily.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Really Ron? Ginn-eeeee? And if you don't like Rosie, what about just plain old Rose?"

Ron thought about it for a moment. "Well... Yeah. I like that."

Hermione clapped her hands. "Yay! Rose it is!" Then she climbed out of bed and went down to the computer room, no doubt to go look up everything about the name Rose.

Ron sat up and half-heartedly called after her, "Wait! 'Mione! Your supposed to stay in bed! The doctor said! And-and I'm not sure I even like the name Rose! We didn't decide! Wait!" When he got no reply, he sighed and fell back onto the bed.


	7. Chapter 6

**It's me again! So, here's chapter six! Whoo! And I know I got several reviews saying that things in the story were moving sort of fast (The couple already thinking about baby names) so I'm sorry about that. I can't really relate to the pregnancy thing,(lol!) so I'm trying to keep it as realistic as I can. I'm also quite anxious to get to the wedding, seeing as about a month has passed since the proposal. I'm expecting this story to be about 13 chapters, so expect the wedding in chapter... nine. I think. I don't actually have any of this stuff planned out, I just find a spare hour, type the chapter as I go along, and then upload it on to this site. So, expect like two chapters a week, me thinks. Enjoy!**

**P.S. Make sure you read the AN at the bottom; it's really important.**

_Keep holding on.._

Keep Holding On

Chapter 6

Three days later, Hermione convinced Ron to go to the burrow for brunch and tell the family about the baby and the accident. Ron had agreed that morning to stay later than usual so Hermione and Mrs. Weasley and Fleur could all continue with the wedding planning. The threesome had mutually decided on a wedding in late November, and it was September 13th. Hermione really wanted a simple wedding at the Burrow, but Fleur was pestering her about a beach wedding. Then Mrs. Weasley would remind Fleur that it would be in November, so the beach would be a miserable place, and then she would remind Hermione that Audrey and Percy, and Fleur and Bill had all gotten married at the Burrow and maybe they should switch it up.

The venue was a mystery. However,they had previously settled on a color palette. The centerpieces would be red roses with black pansies, and the bridemaids' dresses would be white silk with red ribbons and they would wear red hair ornaments. The groomsmen would be dressed in black suits with the matching red tie. Hermione had not yet picked her dress, but they would get to that later.

As expected, Mrs. Weasley had no trouble cooking brunch for the 12 guests: Mr. and Mrs. Wealsey, Fleur, Bill, Harry, Ginny, James, Ron, Hermione, George, Katie, and Fred. The small group was halfway through the meal, although Ginny and Hermione were barley eating anything at all. Hermione decided it was only a matter of time before Mrs. Weasley picked up on that, so she decided to make the announcement before Molly made assumptions.

Reaching under the table to squeeze Ron's hand for support, Hermione said, "Everyone, Ron and I have an announcement."

Mrs. Weasley smiled, and Katie looked up attentively. Slowly, everyone else put down their utensils and stopped their conversations and looked up at Hermione and Ron expectantly.

Ron swallowed. "Well... Hermione's pregnant!"

Everyone around the table gasped and then everyone beamed. Molly started crying, and George (who was sitting on the other side of Ron) thumped his little brother on the back. "Wonderful mate, wonderful." He said. Ron and Hermione grinned, and their eyes met for a moment. Ginny was watching all of this, and when her brother and her soon-to-be sister-in-law's eyes met, and lit up, Ginny got the courage to speak her news.

"Not to take the attention away from Romione," she began tentatively yet jokingly, using the nickname Ron hated but Hermione found cute. "but I have some news of my own to share."

Harry stopped congratulating his best friends and looked up, puzzled. "What is it, Gin?"

"Yes, tell us dear." Mr. Weasley said.

"Well... I'm pregnant as well." She said quietly.

Harry's eyes just about popped out of his head.

After Ginny's news, the excitement in the Burrow seemed to envelop the house and everyone it. It had a cozy/claustrophobic feel.

Harry had jumped out of his chair. "Are you sure? Completely positive?" Ginny nodded, tears welling in her eyes. Not wanting to explain her and Harry's sex life in front of everyone, she motioned for Harry to follow her into the parlor. The couple left and as soon as the door shut Mr. Weasley let out a heavy sigh.

"Gwandpaw, what's the mattah?" Toddler James said, the picture of innocence.

Mr. Weasley looked up, but when he spoke it wasn't to his adorable one-year-old grandson. "It's just...Ginny's only just turned twenty-four, and she's already pregnant with her _second_ child? She's still so young...A child..."

Mrs. Weasley smiled somewhat sadly. "I know honey. But times are changing. It's fine." Her husband nodded.

For the next ten minutes, Mrs. Weasley rambled on and on about how she was so lucky to have so many grandchildren, and Ron, Hermione, George, and Katie talked about politics at the Ministry of Magic. No one was overly excited about the topic, and it was clear their minds were elsewhere.

Finally, Ginny and Harry came back in, hand in hand, albeit looking a little worse for wear.

"So, you guys...figured it out?" George asked shamelessly.

"Er...yes." Harry said. "She's pregnant."

Fleur jumped up, clapped her hands, and ran over to Ginny. "Wonderful! Zis is so wonderful! Ze boy will be so happy!" She cried, motioning towards James. "A little... Well, ve don't know ze gender yet, I suppose. But still! Another sibling! How nice!"

Hermione looked towards Ginny. "Oh, yes. You do need to go to the doctor, as soon as possible really. You could come with me tomorrow..." That led Hermione to explain why she had to go tomorrow, and when she revealed it was for a checkup, she had to then explain about the accident. She didn't go into the gory details, and she really minimized the whole thing. Everyone was worried but not too upset or frazzled.

The meal went on for a few more minutes, and when everyone had cleaned up, all the men went into the living room to discuss the Chudley Cannons, and all the women (save for Katie-she had preferred to join in with the men in the qudditch discussion) headed into the parlor to continue with the wedding planning. Ginny had brought along some bridal magazines (she had loads left from the planning of her wedding, which had been a year ago, right after James was born) and Hermione flipped through them, with Fleur going "Ooh! Zat is beautiful!" or "No, no. Too...something. It is just bad."

Finally, Hermione had narrowed it down to her top three dresses. She didn't make a decision, and although Mrs. Weasley warned her not to wait much longer, she reassured herself and knew that when she made the decision she wanted to be happy with it and she couldn't rush it. So she didn't.

**Okay, hope you liked it! So, I have a surprise for you guys because you've been so awesome. YOU get to choose Hermy's dress! On my profile I have links to my three favorite dresses, and you pick your favorite one and vote for it in my poll, also on my profile! The poll closes May 20th, unless I tell you otherwise. So please review and/or go VOTE!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Me again! Thanks to all the wonderful reviews and subscriptions. Love yas! So, I got virtually no votes on my poll about Hermione's wedding dress! :( If no one votes, I'll just choose my favorite! I have this chapter and one more before the wedding, so I will be closing the poll on the third of June. Also, to clear anything up, Ginny is now pregnant with Albus, not Lilly. Okay? And Ginny and Hermy are both one month pregant now, but they didn't find out until recently. Enjoy and seriously- PLEASE REVIEW. I checked my story traffic and I know this gets a lot of hits, but NO reviews! What's up with that? Just a simple :) isn't that hard, is it?**

**P.S. I sort of gave up on the whole song thing, but I still like the title, so whatevs!**

Keep Holding On  
Chapter 7

As the months passed, Hermione and Ron got a grip on their new lives. With Ginny at the same stage as her pregnancy as Hermione, they went through it together: The morning sickness, the odd cravings, the mood swings, and the kicks. By the time they were both six months pregnant and starting the third trimester of the pregnancy, they and their husbands were accustomed to the new behaviors.

Ginny and Harry almost immediately decided on a name. They both agreed on naming their son Albus if it was a boy or Lily if it was a girl. The couple wanted the gender to be a suprise, much to the dismay of Hermione who wanted every little detail planned out. Hermione and Ron finally settled on Rose. Hermione's persuaison skills were better than ever, according to her husband.

One cold January night, Hermione was sitting in the living room reading a book while Ron was making dinner. Suddenly, she felt a sharp, intense, pain. "Oh!" She cried out, dropping her book and clutching her rounded stomach. Ron ran into the room.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked, alarmed.

"Uhh, nothing I'm – I'm fine." Hermione said but she still had a look of absolute pain on her face.

"No, there's clearly something wrong, 'Mione. Is it the baby?"

"I think so... I think it's just a contraciton... but I wasn't expecting them so soon..."

"Should we go to St. Mungo's?" Ron asked.

"No...No I think they stopped." Hermione said.

"Okay, do you want me to stay here for a moment?"

"No, no go finish dinner." She instructed. Ron gave her one last look but then left the lving room.

Hermione picked her book up off the floor, but she couldn't really get back into it. Was something wrong with little Rose? It was so soon- six months! Surely the premature contractions didn't mean anything...

The rest of the night was a drag. The couple ate dinner silently, each worried but not wanting to admit their fears to the other. Eventually, Hermione decided it was late enough to say she was going to bed without raising suspicions. Ron bade her good night, but stayed in the living room to watch the television.

The next day, Mrs. Weasley and Fleur were coming to the cottage to continue on with wedding planning. Only two more weeks until the wedding, and Hermione was having a panic attack because virtually nothing was prepared. She hadn't chosen her dress, or decided what everyone was to eat, or purchased the covers for the seats, or made the seating chart, or the centerpieces for the tables. The only thing done was the tent and the invitations. So yes, panic mode was set in stone.

When the duo arrived, they were loaded down with notebooks, catalogs, pens, pencils, and for Fleur especially, coffee. "Eet is time to get in zee wedding mode, darling." Fleur said with a small smile.

"I'm ready!" Hermione said, and beckoned her in-laws into the cottage. "Let's do this." And they got to work.

Ron had anticipated the sucidal feeling he got as soon as his mother pulled out the catalog called _A Woman's Guide To All Things WEDDING! _So, he had made plans for him to go visit Bill. He needed some advice on how to be a father.

Ron apparated to Bill and Fleur's house and didn't bother to knock. Bill was in the living room watching Quidditch replays, and Ron just walked in and sat down on the couch. Bill had a bowl of popcorn on the table and Ron wasted no time sticking his large hand into the bowl and taking a handful. It was a Cannon's game, of course, so it took a full half hour (until the game was over) before the brothers actually said something to each other.

Meanwhile, back at the cottage, Hermione had picked out a dress and Fleur had Flooed over to the store, The Wedding Wizard, to place an order. Now Mrs. Weasley and Hermione were having a "chat".

"Honey, I have so much faith in you." Mrs. Wealsey said.

"Oh thank you, Molly. You have no idea how exicted I am for the wedding!"

"Deary, I don't know if you can tell, but Ron is more excited than you. When he looks at you, his eyes light up. We could see it when you two where eleven, and we can see it now. You are his world." Molly said, with a light pat on Hermione's hand.

"Really?" Hermione breathed. Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"Have you written your vows yet?" She asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm working on them though. 

Meanwhile, back at Bill and Fleur's, Bill was asking the same question (although he was talking with a mouth full of food, unlike his mother). Ron chewed his popcorn thoughtfully for a moment before responding. "Yes. Well, no. But yes."

Bill raised his eyebrows as if to say, _really?_

Ron chuckled. "Okay. I know what I want to say, but I haven't actually written them down yet. Is that bad?"

"Nah, as long as you get them on parchment soon. Are the super mushy? 'Cause that will make people uncomfortable. (Except Fleur and Hermione, obviously.)"

"Haha, yeah. They aren't that bad. Wanna hear them?"

Bill shook his head. "Honestly? No. I already have to hear them at the wedding!"

**Sorry this was so short. Please REVIEW AND VOTE!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey it's me! Sorry it's been a while since my last UD, I've just been super busy** **with end-of-the-year stuff. So, I really hope you guys are liking this. Only this chapter, the wedding, (which may actually end up as two chapters, I'm not sure yet), the honeymoon and maybe one more. And prepare for my favorite thing- TWISTS! Also, it has come to my attention that the links on my profile don't work. So you can copy and paste them if you wish, or if no one votes I'll just pick my favorite. Enjoy!**

Keep Holding On

Chapter 8

Hermione never really was good with anxiety. So it would make sense that now, less than two days before her wedding and two months away from her due date, she would be stressed, hormonal, and _way _over the edge. It didn't help that her dress was backordered, Charlie wasn't sure if he could actually make the wedding, and Ron seemed to have disappeared. He hadn't been around since that morning, and it was approaching late afternoon. In Hermione's opinion, worrying was allowed.

Just as Hermione was about to call Mrs. Weasley (who would be a more sufficient looking for Ron then anyone from the Ministry), her husband burst into their cottage. "There you are! I was worrying! Where were you? Are you-"

Hermione stopped screaming at Ron for a moment and looked at him. "What? Why are you so... so exuberant? So happy? What happened?"

Ron grinned. "Well, I got a call from the Ministry this morning."

"Oh, so thats where you were."

"Yes. I went to the Ministry, and I talked to Ronald Schiff. You know, the head of the Aurors? Well he said that he..."

"Yes, yes, what did he say?" Hermione demanded impatiently.

"Well he said... I got promoted! He's retiring so Xavier, who's in the position under him, is taking his spot. And since there's no one under Xavier, I get his old position! Im the new second- in -command!"

"Oh honey, that's wonderful!" Hermione said. Then the true sign that she was pregnant kicked in: She started crying.

" 'Mione, 'Mione, what's wrong! It's great! Why are you crying? I'll still be home a lot! We'll have more money! Please don't cry."

Hermione smiled a watery smile through her tears. "No, Ron, you've got it all wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sad! I'm happy! This is great! With the raise, Rosie can have so many more oppurtunities. We could get her nice things, get her anything she'd ever want." Hermione said happily.

But just shook her head. "Hermione, she won't be like other children, I know it. With you and me together, she could have anything she would ever want. She won't need us to buy her expensive toys or stupid little getups she can parade around our house in. You will be the perfect mom, I know it." Ron finished, with a proud look on his face.

"Oh honey, thank you." Hermione said, smiling.

* * *

Later that night, the couple was sitting on the olive green couch in front of the fireplace. It was their last night together before their separate bachelor/bachelorette parties. They weren't doing anything to wild, Hermione, Ginny, Fleur, and Hermione's cousin Jennet (who was the only one outside of her immediate family who knew about the Wizarding World) were going out to dinner and then spending the night at Fleur and Bill's other vacation home in the tropics. Then they would use the Floo Network to aaparate back to Shell Cottage and then Apparate to the Burrow for the wedding.

Bill wouldn't be involved in any of these plans, for he would be at the Hog's Head with Ron, Harry, George and Neville. Then after the party Ron was to spend the night at Harry's flat, and then Apparate to the wedding

"Hermione, I am so happy." Ron said.

"Oh, why?" Hermione asked.

"Because, in two short days I will be officially your husband."

Hermione laughed. "Well, I'm just happy that the wedding's actually happening."

A puzzled look crossed Ron's face. "What do you mean?"

"Well, today alone I made three calls to the florist, two trips to some Muggle craft store to buy the seat covers, and a trip to Diagon Alley to pick up my new dress. My other one was backordered, so they told me I had to get a new one. I actually like this one better, though. Anyway, I also spent all of yesterday with your mother preparing the food for the reception and I made a seating chart. So yeah, if it wasn't for me this whole thing wouldn't even be happening."

Instead of saying "Thank you," Ron just kissed her on the cheek.

But to Hermione, that was thanks enough.

* * *

The sound of silverware clanking together and the soft chattering of diners filled The Cornish Bakehouse, a small restaurant that was run by wizards but served Muggles as well. Located on a side street of London, it had always been a favorite of Hermione's when she was a a child, so it seemed fitting to have her bachelorette party there.

The four ladies walked in and took their seats at a reserved table. The entrees came about forty minutes into the meal, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed them. Afterwards they went to and ice-cream parlor for desert.

"No, no I can't." Hermione stated as they rounded the corner and Ginny pulled her towards the ice-cream place.

"You're coming! You need something sweet tonight!"

"No, I can't, I won't fit into my dress!"

"Um...Hermione... you're pregnant. So..."

"Oh. Yeah." Hermione said, red in the face. She was a little disappointed that she couldn't wear the dress she wanted due to the timing of her pregnancy. It was supposed to be a tight-fitting mermaid dress, but was now more maternity style. But it was still gorgeous.

A few hours later, the four girls were in the tropics.

"See, this is why I wish I was a wizard." Jennet said as she stood out on the small house's porch. It was sunset, seventy degrees, and smelled like coconuts. "Then I could come here anytime I wanted."

"Yeah, Fleur, this is really great." Hermione said as she gave her soon-to-be sister-in-law a hug. Fleur, who was not one for embraces of any kind looked shocked at first but then hugged back.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Hogs Head, things weren't going as smoothly. George had been crazily drunk before he passed out, Neville was pretty wrecked as well. Bill had a drink, but was being responsible and not having any more. Ron and Harry were the only ones who hadn't consumed any alcohol. When Neville asked why Ron hadn't, he replied, "Well Hermione can't have any tonight 'cause of the baby, so I'm not having any either." Neville had just nodded and gone back to poking unconscious George.

Around midnight, Bill brought George back to the Burrow, Neville Apparated home, and Harry took Ron back to his flat where he would sleep on the couch. Surprisingly, it wasn't half bad, and Ron settled in.

Once he was "in bed", Ron let his mind wander. He thought about his friends. He thought about Rose, and whether or not she would be healthy, or when she would be coming. He thought about his family. And he thought about Hermione. He knew Hermione was a little upset by the fact that she had to wear a maternity wedding dress, but it was just the way the timing worked out. He had suggested to do what Ginny and Harry were doing, which was to wait until after their baby was born to get married, but Hermione hadn't wanted to do that. She had told him that she had spent all of the last twenty or so years waiting for her and Ron's wedding, and it wouldn't be pushed back just because she wasn't happy with the style of her dress. As soon as she had told Ron this, he had started beaming, and that was when Hermione knew she had made the right choice.

**A/N Hey, sorry this was so short! Major case of writer's block. But it's okay, I have PLENTY of ideas for the wedding. I just wasn't sure what to do with this chapter. Hope you liked it anyway... please review!**


	10. Chapter 9 The End!

**AND NOW...THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR... THE WEDDING! Finally!  
I would also like to announce that with a total of three votes (haha) Dress Number 2 is the winner of the poll! Yay! Finally, I would like to thank all of my great reviewers, subscibers, or general fans who PM'ed me. Without you guys, this story probably wouldn't have made it. So, I dedicate this final chapter to you guys. Enjoy! **

* * *

Keep Holding On

Chapter Nine

A fleet of yellow birds flew down the aisle, twittering and tweeting their little song, and appearing as if they were dancing on air. Most guests just thought the birds were a nice touch, and matched the color theme of canary yellow, sky blue and cream. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were the only ones who knew the true meaning of the birds. The last time Hermione had conjured them from the thin tip of her wand, they were used to express her anger and sadness. This time, they were signifing happiness, and the feeling of togetherness.

The Burrow had been transformed. Several canary yellow bows decorated the windows and door, the yard had been weeded and de-gnomed, and the fields had been plowed down so they only stood a foot high. The reason why they were not gone entirely was that in the field closest to the garden, where the "reception" was being held, had a single aisle plowed all the way down. It went across the field, and at the end stood an altar where the Justice of the Peace, a man named Mr. Downingway, stood. Fifty folding chairs were arranged on either side of the aisle in rows of five. They all had cream seat covers tied in the back with, what else, canary yellow bows. The garden theme was similar. Ten circular tables had been covered in a cream tablecloth, and set with silverware and a sky blue cloth napkin. Then as a centerpiece was a candle in the same shade of blue as the candle with buttercups surrounding it. After the ceremony Mrs. Weasley would use a simple spell to move the chairs over to the garden and arrange them so there was five per table. Then for dinner the guests would choose what food they wanted from a buffet that had been cooked and arranged by Fleur and Mrs. Weasley. While people ate, speeches would be made. Everything was planned down to the last detail, and Hermione was crossing her fingers that nothing unexpected happened. This was the day she had been waiting for since she was elven- _nothing_ could go wrong.

* * *

Ron hadn't seen Hermione in almost two days. In his opinion, that was far too long a wait.

* * *

Hermione couldn't believe that it had been almost two days since she had seen Ron. She was just glad she was scheduled to walk down the aisle in five minutes- she wasn't sure if she could wait much longer.

In the end, Hermione was pleased with her wedding dress. It was an off-white color, and sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline. In her upper chest area there was ruching, and a sky blue ribbon tied around. Then it came out, almost like a poof, and hung to mid-calf. She wore simple flats with it, and her hair down, curlier than ever (the way Ron liked it) with nothing in it but a plain headband.

As Hermione stood with the rest of the wedding party behind the long stalks of grain in the fields, out of view from everyone else, she didn't feel nervous at all. She knew marrying Ron was the right thing to do. She loved him. Obviously.

Ron, Harry, George, and Neville were already standing at the altar, with Ron front and center, Harry on his right, and George and Neville directly behind them. Ron looked like a nervous wreck, but Hermione knew it wasn't because he didn't think he should marry her.

Ginny walked up to the aisle. She reached the end and turned and grinned to Hermione, but Hermione couldn't hear her. She was already walking, one foot in front of the other, and staring straight ahead. Right into Ron's eyes. And he was looking right back at her, and in that moment, she knew she loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She was him. He was her. They were one.

The ceremony was very short. They said the "I do's" and then started the procession, really. It wasn't the real way to do it, for once Ron had took Hermione's hand when she was saying her vows he couldn't let go. Ginny reached the exit of the aisle and stopped and looked back at Hemrione. She was saying somehing, but Hermione couldn't hear her. A sharp pain was tearing through her back. She felt dizzy, and she caught sight of Ginny's alarmed face before she blacked out.

* * *

Ron leaned down and kissed Hermione's cheek. Her eyes fluttered open, startled. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Open, shut, open, shut. She looked like a fish, in a way. Ron rubbed circles on the back of her cold hand with his thumb, and it seemed to calm her down. Finally, she spoke.

"What...happened? What about the- the wedding? Am I..."

"Are you what?" Ron said.

"Am I having the baby now? I know my due dates not for a month, but I felt this pain and..." She trailed off, looking worried and confused.

"Well, the doctors think you blacked out because the baby's heartbeat got too fast. And that means that you have to have the baby soon. Well not soon. Now. They have you on some remedy, see?" He dropped her hand and gestured to the IV that hung above Hermione. St. Mungo's hadn't started using IV's until recently, because they hadn't really felt the need to use Muggle medical tools, but with all the new technology Muggles were starting to use, some of the stuff was very helpful to the hospital.

In the IV was a potion that would start the process of labor. Hermione was feeling fine now, but it was a serious potion and by using it there could be complications.

Ron and Hermione weren't officically married yet, but the wedding had left everyone's mind. Making sure Rose and Hermione were healthy was all anyone was thinkng about.

The drugs were hitting Hermione hard. She had slipped into unconsciousness, and kept yelping and tossing and turning in her half-awake state. Ron held is hand, but the doctors said it would be best to keep her asleep up until the beginning of delivery.

Harry had apparated to the hospital about four hours after Hermione's exit of the wedding. Hermione had just been knocked out, so Ron was alone in the room except for a Healer named Lila who was writing something down in a file at the desk in the back of the room.

"Mate!" Ron said, jumping out of his chair and walking over to Harry.

"Hi, Ron. How's Hermione?" Harry asked, concerned. He glanced down at her pale form on the bed, and the look on his fce deepened.

"Okay, for now. She's knocked out on some potion that's supposed to keep the baby and her stable for a while... did everybody go home?" Ron asked, referring to the wedding guests.

"Yeah, except for Bill and Fleur, they're gonna crash at the Burrow. I think me and Gin and are going to as well. Everyone is wishing you guys good luck, and "sends their love." Your mom wanted to come here, but we told her no because you guys would be fine and you know St. Mungo's doesn't like visitors. So...yeah. I just came because everyone wanted you to know that the wedding thing was taken care of."

"Oh yeah, thanks mate." Ron said. Sitting back in the chair and taking Hermione's hand. Harry walked over to the bed and kissed Hermione's cheek, then with some parting words, left.

The moment Harry was out the door, another Healer (not Lila) came in. She felt Hermione's forehead, neck, and baby bump. Then she turned and stared at Ron. "Are you ready to be a father in...say... three minutes?" She said in monotone.

Ron swallowed. "Um... Yes?"

The Healer nodded. "Okay is good. I'm waking her up now."

* * *

Rose Jane Weasley was born on the 19th of April, at 7:26 pm in Room 12 on the sixth floor of St. Mungo's hospital. She weighed 7 pounds, three ounces and was remarkably healthy.

Hermione had woken up at 7:10, and had immediately started pushing. She was feeling well until the very end, where she blacked out for a moment but pulled herself right out of it. Ron was very proud of his "almost-wife" (as he would jokingly call her later) , and even happier with his daughter.

Ron and Hermione took Rose home three days after her birth. Ginny and Fleur had obviously snuck in and not only cleaned the entire cottage, but also bought a crib and bombarded the guest room/nursery with stuffed animals and diapers. When they walked in the house a banner in the door way read, _Welcome Rosie_ and was painted in Gryfindor colors.

Ron had smiled at the banner, but muttered under his breath, "Blimey, everything's about house pride these days, isn't it?"

Hermione grinned and carried the baby upstairs and layed her down in the crib without questioning it how it got there.

That night, Ron and Hermione sat down on the couch in the same place they had sat in several days ago, right before the wedding. Now, everything had changed. Well, not everything. The couch was still comfy, but not too comfy. The light fixture hanging above the couple still flickered now and then. The paint in the corner was still peeling, slowly but surely. But yes, things had definitely changed. Ron's eyes were a little brighter. Hermione smiled a little wider. And everything was just generally _good. _


End file.
